Noah Dobson, Acadie-Bathurst Titan

He has all the tools to be an elite two-way defenseman in the NHL and is arguably the second-best defenseman in this draft behind Dahlin.

Dobson is described as a defenseman as follows:

“Who uses his quick feet and NHL-caliber smarts to smother opposing puck carriers. On offense, he's more of a facilitator than an orchestrator, but he oozes potential in every area of the game and should be groomed to anchor a top pairing ' - Steve Kournianos - SportingNews/The Draft Analyst.

There is a good chance that a team like the Arizona Coyotes (5th), Detroit Red Wings (6th), or Vancouver Canucks (7th) will take Dobson.

But if he is available at ten, the Oilers should not hesitate to take him!

Adam Boqvist, Brynäs IF

Adam Boqvist was one of the highest ranked defensemen in the draft early this season, but his stock has dropped a bit of late.

At this point, Boqvist looks like one of the biggest wild-cards in the draft and can be taken anywhere from 5th to 11th.

“A right-shot defenseman has the skills and size of another Sweden-born defenseman, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. Like Karlsson, Boqvist likely will need another season in Sweden to prove himself in the SHL, but then should add a high-end puck-moving piece."

That is a bold comparison but if Boqvist can live up to the hype he might turn out to be one of the biggest steals of this draft.

Right-shot defensemen, who can skate with high-end puck-moving skills don’t grow on trees.

Like Dobson, if Boqvist drops to the Oilers, they should happily run up to the podium to take him right-away.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ässät / Liiga

At this point, Jesperi Kotkaniemi is the highest ranked center in this draft.

He is a big body (6’2"), that has potential to become a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

Drafting a center may not be the Oilers’ biggest priority but they can’t go wrong with a player like Kotkaniemi if he is available.

Having Kotkaniemi in the mix will give them more options to modify their team in the future.

They can always throw Kotkaniemi on the wing and give him a couple of years to develop. If he excels in the NHL, he could possibly make a player like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Leon Draisaitl expendable somewhere down the road.

Ty Smith, Spokane Chiefs

Ty Smith is another solid defensive prospect in this draft. He is ranked just outside of the top-tier defenders in this class and should be available at 10th overall.

"Smith has the ability to make all the right plays in his end, either skating the puck out of the zone or carrying it and creating in transition. He also excelled offensively with 73 points (14 goals, 59 assists)."

Overall, his impact and projection at the NHL level may not be as high as Dobson or a Boqvist, but Smith can still become a very useful defender in the NHL.

He might be exactly what the Oilers are a looking for... a mobile defenseman, with excellent offensive skills.

Overall take

This year’s draft will be a bit more unpredictable for the Oilers.

They have the ability to go several directions depending on who is available to them at 10.

But given how “defense-heavy” this draft is, it might be a good opportunity for them to try and land a right-handed franchise defenseman.

Therefore, if a name like Adam Boqvist, Evan Bouchard or Noah Dobson is available they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

On the other hand, taking a high-end prospect like Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Ty Smith wouldn’t be a bad plan-b either.

Who do you think the Oilers should select? Let us know in the comment section below.